The Fiancé's Cruel Deception

Mitchel

he devoted fiancé perfectly, his public displays of affection sickeningly convincing. I

consumption. After the initial media frenzy, the Morris family, an old-m

, her eyes raking over me with undisguised contempt, "is hardly the suitable match for

other, Kiara is a strong woman. She has been thro

alculated performance, designed to p

f Charlton's access to the family trust, threatened his position in the corpora

ant lover, willing to sacrifice everything for the woman he "loved." He staged pub

ion, was designed to provoke his family, to make them so despe

ris family's hushed conversations. Charlton's college sweet

s this really about?" I asked him one night, after a particularly

ou know why, Kiara. We're in this together. We su

nstructed lie. I could feel i

ton had left me alone in our sprawling penthouse, claiming he nee

dy. The door was ajar. A low murmur of voices drift

, tugged at me. I crept closer

hey're almost broken." It was a smo

I held my breath,

ess sound. "They will be. They'l

ped. The air

And Kiara? The little socialite? She's serving her purpo

My hands clenched, nails digging

thing. A means to an end. Once they accept our ma

suddenly weak. For a moment, a blind, white-hot rage threatened to consume me. I wanted to kick down

er than my fury, cut through the ha

o their ears. My destruction would only prove their point

o

est down, banking it into a cold, hard ember of resolve. I wou

iped the single, traitorous tear from my cheek. I smoothed my dress, erase

d I would play it bett

took a few steps back down the hallway, making

. I feigned a startled g

w me. His face, usually so composed, was momenta

ce losing its fabricated w

ast him at Giuliana, who emerged in her silk robe, a triumphant sm

t and fragile. "I'm sorry to interrupt. I jus

s smirk faltered. They had expected hysterics. A confront

rs to well in my eyes. I wasn't asking about their grand conspiracy. I was lett

ared at me, his eyes like ch

y. "Of course, it was, darling. Did you really think someone like Charlton would ev

tears fall, a perfect performance of a shattered heart. I

ce choked with manufactured

my shoulders slumped in defeat, and walked away,

iuliana's triumphant whisper, "See? Pa

a soft click. The mask of heartbreak fell away

ght, a venomous smile touching my l